1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic payment machine for checking the validity of an instrument of payment by means of control electronics, giving a voucher back with the instrument of payment and comprising two separate kinematic chains, one for processing the instrument of payment and the other for making out the voucher and for driving the instrument of payment and voucher towards a common outlet.
Such automatic machines are currently used in payment systems such as public transports, motorways or pay-parking.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An automatic machine of the above defined type is already known from the patent DE-A-2 425 735. This apparatus checks the validity of an instrument of payment, here a prepaid card, and returns it into a bowl. If the instrument of payment is valid, a voucher, here a transport ticket, is made out and delivered into the same bowl.
In such an apparatus, the kinematic chain which processes the instrument of payment and the kinematic chain which makes out the voucher open into the common bowl through two separate slits disposed side by side. In addition, the instrument of payment and the voucher arrive in the bowl at two separate times.
The result is that the user tends to make a first gesture for recovering the first of these objects which arrives in the bowl and puts it in his pocket, then a second gesture for recovering the second object which has generally arrived meantime. The result is a slowing down of the flow of users.
Moreover, with such an apparatus, there is a risk that a user in a hurry might forget to take that one of the two objects which arrives last.
The present invention overcomes the above drawback by providing an automatic machine for which the instrument of payment and the voucher are readily and rapidly recovered together by the user.